Seen or heard any of these phrases or ones like them used in the last year? Maybe a better question would be “how many times have you heard these phrases in the last year”? We have gun sights placed over congressional districts, rally signs that called for President Bush’ death, and many, many loud voices telling every ear that can hear about the sky that is sure to fall if this or this and this happens.

All of it is generated by the two political parties in America, and their lackeys in the press trumpet it for them 24/7. Do we have a violent political discourse in this nation? Maybe. It depends on what you mean by “violent”. If you mean that this rhetoric will lead to violent outbursts of gun fire or explosives, there is no proof of such occurrences. If, on the other hand, you mean that our discourse is merely political rhetoric that is designed to encourage Americans to stop thinking critically and start emoting, then “violent” is the word I would use to describe our discourse. It is the exact word I would use, as a matter of fact.

Political parties do not waste time with facts when selected words will serve them better. The words our politicians and political parties use should tell Americans all we need to know about their character, and about what they think of us. In a nutshell, the words our political parties choose to use show an utter disrespect, nay, disdain, for the intellect of Americans. Our current rhetoric isn’t aimed at solutions; it’s aimed at inciting anger.

I ask you; is this the kind of representation you want for the rest of your life, and for the rest of your children’s lives? Can we even call ours a representative government when the only two entities represented are the two most powerful political ideologies in the nation? Our Founding Fathers were clear; this was to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but something has gone horribly wrong along the way. I’m quite certain in claiming that I have never lived in a country that had a representative government. The things that made my nation’s government great simply do not exist anymore, and we have moved farther away from our ideals today than at any point in our history.

I think about the politicians of the day (the Obamas, the Palins, the Boehners and the Pelosis), and about how they wave the Constitution at any new bill they disagree with. I wonder if they realize how far away from our founder’s principles they have removed us. I have to believe that they are so drunk upon the religion of their politics that they haven’t the time, the inclination, nor the critical abilities to see the differences between their ideology and the Constitution. I am forced to draw this conclusion; today’s Party politicians actually believe that their ideology IS the Constitution, or ought to be. What a dangerous, chilling thought.

Our political parties hire consultants, who then design slogans, or catch-phrases that have been tested upon thousands of people for their emotional response. If a particular phrase evokes the desired response, it is repeated over and over and over, until it has become THE discourse of the day, the week, the month, the year.

Once upon a time, we called that kind of thing Propaganda, and we gave the Nazi’s an “A+” as a grade. Today, we call them “talking points”.

Ridiculous. It’s propaganda, plain and simple. It’s language used, caressed, twisted, and crafted to eliminate critical thinking, and it encourages the masses to emote instead. Our political parties engineer phrases to get you to respond in the way they want you to respond.

Democrats and Republicans are no longer mere representatives. Today, they are demagogues using a common crafted language which encompasses a goal of electoral control through emotional blackmail. If that’s not Propaganda, then the word ought not to be in existence. We no longer live in a Representative Democracy. Instead, we live amongst a power struggle between two faceless ideologies hell-bent on absolute control.

There’s no such thing as a Constitutional Republican or Democrat. Besides the fact that the two parties aren’t even mentioned in our Constitution, the idea that our republic has devolved into a struggle between two entities rather than a union of states and citizens reminds me of the struggle between Socialism and Bolshevism. Though the names of the players may have changed, the prize they are fighting for hasn’t. They fight for power, they respect no man, and they use whatever means they can get away with. Watch the news, listen to the talking heads. You can flip between channels and see the same key words used over and over, as if the speakers were pre-programmed for the show, complete with TV hair. What ails our nation isn’t political apathy or even a slumbering economy; It’s Republicans and Democrats mind-fucking Americans at every turn. Only independent thinkers will cure what ails us. Start thinking critically again. Stop listening to what Democrats and Republicans are saying. You know they don’t say anything without trying to tug on your emotions. Plug your ears if you need to.

There’s an illness in America. The Arizona tragedy wasn’t caused by our political rhetoric. Not at all.

Our nation is so much sicker than that, and most people don’t realize it. Ω

Now that we’ve heard Sarah Palin recite the speech written for her (and please don’t come here trying to tell me her opponents haven’t done the same thing, pleeease), it’s game on. If this were a normal election, her speech would have been about it for the Vice Presidential candidates; save for maybe a poorly viewed VP debate. Let’s face it, people just don’t vote for the VP.

Until now.

Democrats across the nation swamped blogs and news websites with derogatory comments about the Republican Veep Nominee. Bringing into question her morals and experience, they did the one thing they could not afford to do in this election; make it about more than the issues and the country. They have made it about experience (but don’t want you to talk about Obama’s lack of it), Change (as if either of the two parties are capable of accomplishing that whale), and about Sarah Palin.

Big Mistake.

Sarah Palin, last night, proved to the nation that she is not too small for the stage. She held her own in terms of explaining herself and her experience, and in more than a little way, refocused the election microscope back onto Obama’s inexperience. Needless to say, with an election season nearly three times as long as the normal baseball season, things can change yet, and probably will.

But one thing that won’t change is Obama’s supporters. They are behind him one hundred percent, and willingly defend him and attack others even when he doesn’t want or need them to. It is my opinion that Obama has been trying as hard as he can to rise above the pettiness of politics in this election; to make his campaign about who he is rather than who screwed what up.

Unfortunately for him, his supporters just won’t let him do that. Had they said “Sarah who?” when McCain announced his running mate, and left it at that, the Republican campaign would have died a rapid, silent death. Instead, Obama’s supporters attacked Palin with an intensity not seen since the last Pit Bull attack on a small child.

In essence, this is now a race because Obama’s supporters have made Sarah Palin a celebrity. They’ve made her as exciting as their own candidate; at a time when this election direly needed to be about the country, they made it about two people.

Who wins? I don’t know. Sarah Palin has not had enough time to piss me off. Barrack has had more than enough time, and has accomplished it. McCain? Well, let’s just say he’s a Republican; there’s no change there.

Yeah, catchy title and all, this post promises to be a dud, so I won’t keep you hanging for the punch line real long. Obama has no foreign policy experience, and neither does Palin. For that matter, when it comes to being an executive, McCain and Biden have zero experience as well.

Wake up! You only get executive foreign policy experience BY BEING PRESIDENT!

Get it?

(still loving the title?)

Obama is running for President, Palin for Vice President; why is there even a comparison being made? One is trying be the executive, while the other is on the ticket as a distant assistant/trainee type of thing. There’s no comparison. Obama can be an immediate success, or an immediate threat. Palin is the future, maybe.

In review, none of the four candidates have any executive foreign policy experience whatsoever. This is a non-issue, and the two sides are looking absolutely foolish. You know what a fool is, right? He’s the guy pontificating about things he has no experience in. Looks like we have four guilty parties here. Let’s let ’em know that we know that.

Okay, this post is over. I know, it sucked, but you’re going to have to search the internet long and hard before you’ll find a better title, right?